Discover Delmarva: Rehoboth Beach Historical Society & Museum

REHOBOTH BEACH, De- In Rehoboth Beach, the streets you roam, and even the buildings you’ll visit, are jam-packed with history. Heidi Nasstrom Evans says this is what they’re all about: “Our historical society tells the story of Rehoboth Beach. And so everything that we collect here has to relate to Rehoboth Beach.”

The gorgeous building sets the scene, quaintly placed on Rehoboth Avenue right along the canal. With a perfected garden as you enter, you’ll also notice an iconic relic of the town, “Well, the Dolle’s sign on the outside of the building is probably the easiest one to use to tell that story. Since it was so iconic when it was on the boardwalk.” For years, this was the lighthouse of the town on the boardwalk at the end of Rehoboth Avenue. Which we may know as a road now, its bones are rooted in the old train tracks that ran through the town. Nasstrom Evans tells us, “Reverend Todd, who founded a camp meeting ground in this area. And named the town Rehoboth Beach in 1873.” Over 150 years ago, a piece of real estate here was quite the deal. I’ll take 10! “He partitioned the land into the lots that are still here today and sold them for fifty dollars a piece,” according to Nasstrom Lowe.

The earliest days of the town are visualized with a diorama that looks awfully similar to the layout of the town today! “Paul Lovitt’s diorama came to the museum last summer. And he gave it to us very generously, and so now it’s on permanent display.”

Upstairs, the iconic signage of the town’s past graces the walls. Where you’ll find memories of the past, while the artifacts upstairs include original deeds, artifacts, and the untold stories of all residents who helped shape Rehoboth into the town we know today

Heidi says they’re excited for their new Metal and Memory exhibit, which opens on November 1st. And their upcoming Beach Ball event To plan your visit or to get your tickets to their upcoming events. Check out their website.